Anyone want to advise on filters?

Hey all,


I stick a UV Filter on most of my lenses to protect them. I have a cuircular polarising filter, but it's smudged and I can't seem to get rid of the smudge, so it looks like I'll be needing a new one.

Anyway, I was wondering what people would advise in the area of filters?

I've heard a Neutral Density filter can be a good investment for slow shutter speeds in daylight? Would that be right?

Apparently they'd be the ones used when you want a shot of a landscape and the clouds are moving?


Also, maybe my Polariser filter is cheap or something, but, when I hold it in front of my face and turn it, i can see my monitor going from normal to blacking out. However, when out and about when I messed with it once or twice, when turning it, i couldn't notice any real change or different via the viewfinder.

I assume you just kinda have to wait and use it at the right time (ye should haev the sun either side of you I'm told) and because I was just messing around I wouldn't have noticed the effect as much?


Would like to have some new filters to play with, so I can retake some of the photos I've already taken, or spend a few hours at the beach or something and mess around with them, trying out different stuff.


Would Circular Polarising and Neutral Density filters be the ones to go with?


Cheers

magicbastarder

a polarising filter will only have a visible effect on polarised light, so it has least effect when pointing directly towards or away from the sun. it also cuts down reflections from non-metallic surfaces.

also, they should be used with care on wide angle lenses as there can be too much sky in the frame, to the point where the effect on a blue sky can visibly vary with the amount of sky in the frame.

richieg

I have a cokin polarising filter and find it great for bringing out the colour of the sky.

I am at the minute looking into new glass, particularly wide angle and new 17-55 f2.8. As a result I will need a new polarising filter but I am interested in ND and ND grad.

Can anyone advise in whether a circular ND is any better than a square type and what should i look at for ND grads (brand, accessories, grad levels etc.)?

magicbastarder

polarising filters come in two types - circular and linear. unless you've got an old camera, go for a circular one. linear ones can cause problems for cameras with modern metering systems.

Thecageyone

Someone recommended ND filters in here before, I'd like to give daylight longer exposures a go. So i ordered 2 on ebay last week ... only checked the order again a couple of days ago ... I only ordered 2 ND 4 filters ... D'oh. I meant to grab an 8 and a 4. They're both 52mm thread, at least I'll have a spare I suppose.

Fajitas!

You can screw them on top of each other if you don't mind increased vignetting.

Thecageyone

Fajitas! wrote: »

You can screw them on top of each other if you don't mind increased vignetting.

AHA!! God I am a bit dumb ... but won't know how they behave until I get them. Cheap as chips ones from china Hopefully it'll work! If the vignetting was only well into the corners I wouldn't mind as I tend to crop a lot anyway. As in, often, not huge crops

twowheelsonly

OP, try the spray that's used for TV, PC or Laptop screens to clear the smudge on the one that you have before you go buying a new one.
I find it great as it evaporates fairly quickly as it's designed not to leave streaks and to be non-reflective.

hbr

KKV wrote: »

Hey all,


I stick a UV Filter on most of my lenses to protect them. I have a cuircular polarising filter, but it's smudged and I can't seem to get rid of the smudge, so it looks like I'll be needing a new one.

I wouldn't give up on it until you give it a damn good
scrubbing with washing up liquid and a J cloth. Take it
off the camera first

I've heard a Neutral Density filter can be a good investment for slow shutter speeds in daylight? Would that be right?

They can be useful for creating motion blur or shallow
DOF in bright conditions.

Thanks for reminding me. I need to go to a hardware shop
to get some #14 welding glass today. I fancy having a go
at solar photography.

Also, maybe my Polariser filter is cheap or something, but, when I hold it in front of my face and turn it, i can see my monitor going from normal to blacking out.

Thats what I would expect.

However, when out and about when I messed with it once or twice, when turning it, i couldn't notice any real change or different via the viewfinder.

Experiment a bit. You will find the polariser can have a dramatic
effect on blue/white skies when you shoot at 90 degrees to the sun.
It can also reduce reflections from vegetation, water and windows.

Would Circular Polarising and Neutral Density filters be the ones to go with?

Yes. A graduated ND might also be useful.

If you have a collection of lenses with different size filter threads,
buy filters for the biggest one and cheap step-down adapters to
mount the filters on the smaller lenses.

DaireQuinlan

magicbastarder wrote: »

a polarising filter will only have a visible effect on polarised light, so it has least effect when pointing directly towards or away from the sun. it also cuts down reflections from non-metallic surfaces.

also, they should be used with care on wide angle lenses as there can be too much sky in the frame, to the point where the effect on a blue sky can visibly vary with the amount of sky in the frame.

This is very true. Here's a great example of how not to use a polariser. An adriatic noon, dubrovnik rooftops, a wideangle, and a polariser :eek: